Tue, 06 Nov 2012, 18:36 PMVeteran NHRA Driver Antron Brown on the Verge of Making U.S. Motorsports History

Courtesy of NHRA CommunicationsPhoto copyright 2012 NHRA

POMONA, Calif. -

Antron Brown

Given NHRA's impressive history of diversity since Wally Parks founded the world's largest
motorsports sanctioning body in 1951, it might be surprising to some that there hasn't been an
African-American driver celebrate a world championship in NHRA's marquee Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series.

Female and Hispanic drivers have won NHRA world championship titles, including Shirley Muldowney,
Angelle Sampey, Cruz and Tony Pedregon and Hector Arana Sr., and many African-American drivers have
participated in and won Full Throttle Series races over the years. If Antron Brown can have a
successful finish to his incredible 2012 Top Fuel season, he will make history as the first
African-American to win an NHRA pro series title, as well as the first to win a major auto racing
crown in the U.S.

Brown brings a 65-point lead to the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 8-11, at historic
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in the hot-rodding hotbed of Southern California. If he can outlast
championship rivals Tony Schumacher, Spencer Massey and Shawn Langdon at that event, he will earn
the title that he's worked so hard to achieve during his 15-year drag racing career.

"This is a huge dream for me and for the kids who are out there now," Brown has said. "If it helps
anybody else change their dream or their story, I'm all for it. Looking at color and different
stuff like that, I'm just an American. I love it. I embrace the sport, and that's where I stand
with it."

Brown has had a great season, racing to six victories in 11 final round appearances and posting
three No. 1 qualifying positions at the controls of his 8,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster.
After building a 104-point lead following the fourth race in the Full Throttle Countdown to the
Championship playoffs, Brown hit a rough spot at the penultimate event in Las Vegas. His team
posted their worst qualifying position of the season (13th) and lost in the first round and scored
only 31 points in the event. Seven-time world champ Schumacher took advantage of Brown's misstep
and was the top qualifier and runner-up and moved to second in the standings, cutting Brown's lead
to 65. Massey is in third place, 70 points back.

Antron Brown

"We lost some points, but we'll go into Pomona with the lead," Brown said. "Our Matco boys are
going to keep working hard. We had a lot of things go wrong (at Las Vegas) that usually never goes
wrong, like the clutch management system breaking, electrical wires breaking. All these little
nitpicky gremlins came out that weekend."

Brown, who had an opportunity to win the championship title last season, says he continues to learn
from setbacks and works hard to stay positive and keep moving forward.

"It is what it is, and that's drag racing," Brown said. "The bad part is that we've let these other
guys get back in it, but that's okay. It's the Countdown to the Championship. We're going to hit
Pomona and we're going to give it our best shot and give it all we got."

One thing is for sure, Brown will be tested at Pomona. FRAM dragster driver Massey is as hungry as
ever to win his first championship title and he won the season-opening Winternationals at this
track. Meanwhile, Schumacher, who has won this event four times, has a legendary history at this
track, where he used last race heroics to win series titles in 2006 and 2007. Brown certainly
doesn't want to become the latest victim of a magical Schumacher come-from-behind performance.

"We're going to keep on pressing," Brown said. "We're not whipped. We'll keep digging and make sure
everything is working the way it's supposed to and be ready for Pomona. One thing is that the good
Lord is an able guy, he never gives you anything you can't handle. Things happen for a reason and
this is all part of it. We've put ourselves in a good position in case something like this
happened."

No matter the outcome, Brown has a special way of keeping everything in perspective. He understands
that he's come a long way from growing up in Chesterfield, N.J. and dreaming of becoming an NHRA
world champion. Right now, he's in the middle of living that dream.

"We've just been very fortunate, and I'm just staying humble," Brown said. "You've just got to be
humble because, if not, the sport will humble you and make you cringe. You go from hero to zero in
our sport, and that's why I just keep the same attitude I always have."

In Funny Car, points leader Jack Beckman and second place Ron Capps are separated by only four
points at the top of the series standings. While those two drivers fight for the world championship
title, high-profile rookie drivers Courtney Force and Alexis DeJoria will continue their
season-long battle for bragging rights. Pomona legend John Force, an eight-time winner of this
event, will be trying to add to his record 134 career victories behind the wheel of his Castrol GTX
High Mileage Ford Mustang.

In Pro Stock, Team Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson is very close to wrapping up his first
world championship title and in the two-wheel category, Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines
Harley-Davidson rider Eddie Krawiec needs only a few more points to secure his third Pro Stock
Motorcycle world championship title.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they're
granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While
strolling through the pits and the Midway, fans will want to check out NHRA's "Rumble in the
Junction" Car Corral featuring dozens of nostalgic dragsters, race cars and hot rods on display.
The Rumble in the Junction also will showcase several NHRA-exclusive Cacklefests throughout the
weekend.

In observance of Veteran's Day, on Sunday, Nov. 11, active and retired military can save $10 per
Sunday ticket by showing military ID. A special Veteran's Day Track Walk with Schumacher and Brown
will be held on Sunday morning. Free for all Sunday ticket holders, the popular Track Walk gives
fans the opportunity to walk down the legendary drag strip alongside some of the NHRA's biggest
stars.

As part of the Nitro Generation theme of the season, NHRA is offering free general admission for
kids 12 and under with a paying adult. Tickets are available online at www.NHRATIX.com or by
calling the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-NHRA (6472).